In the Footsteps of the Father
by Charged Lightning
Summary: Arthur, along with Merlin, Gwen, and the most trusted knights, rides out to help a small village that was nearly destroyed during Morgana's short reign. But things start to go wrong as a simple village girl is accused of sorcery, and Merlin tries to stop her from being the first victim of the pyres during Arthur's reign. Post season 4.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Merlin_

* * *

"You know, this is a very honorable thing to do," Gwen said admiringly to Arthur.

He shrugged. "I'm just helping the people. That's all."

"Don't be so modest," Merlin commented. "Coming out to help this village really shows how much you care about the people. You're turning into a great king, Arthur."

It had been a few weeks since Gwen's coronation when they heard of a tiny village on the outskirts of Camelot that had been nearly destroyed during Morgana's short reign. It had been rather small with very few people, and they were having trouble rebuilding it. They had grown weak from lack of food because the sorceress had burnt all their crops. So Arthur, Gwen, the most trusted knights, and Merlin had ridden out to help the village.

Arthur looked slightly troubled at the fact that Merlin was praising him and offering wise comments, but Merlin could make out a slight smile on his face. "Merlin, could you get some water? I feel as if I'm going to catch on fire at any moment," the king asked. Rolling his eyes, Merlin agreed.

Despite being overcast, it was a sweltering day, and completely unexpected. The clouds sat in place over their heads, trapping in the heat and smothering them. Arthur had admitted earlier that he wished they had a way to know and they could have gone a few days sooner, when it wasn't so hot. Merlin, taking Arthur's order, set out for the nearby stream with two buckets. He was dipping them in the water when he heard someone behind him. He turned around and saw a girl from the village, who wore a tattered, brown dress and had light brown hair. She was a few years younger than Merlin and the rest of them. He had noticed that both her and her twin brother had been the most helpful out of all the villagers.

She stepped up to the stream and filled her two buckets. "Hello, I'm Mira," she said politely. They both began walking back at the same time.

"I'm Merlin," he replied.

"So I've heard," she chuckled slightly, "Your king does seem to enjoy shouting your name."

Merlin laughed. "That he does."

"So what's it like? Working for the king?" she pressed on.

Merlin shrugged. "Well, for one, he's a complete dollophead. And he seems to get himself into a lot of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" she asked playfully.

"Oh, you know. He's always getting attacked by bandits and magical creatures of various kinds."

She paused, then tilted her head. "I could see that."

"And I'm always having to duck to avoid his goblets," he continued.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Just this morning, he threw one at me. After I most kindly added yet another hole to his belt."

She let this sink in, then laughed. "You know, not many kings would be willing to be friends with a servant." They were almost out of the forest, and could see the village. "Or marry one," she said, nodding to Gwen.

They stepped over a fallen tree near the clearing. Merlin nodded. "Yeah, he'll be much better than his father."

Mira frowned. "Yes, in most ways, he already is. In some ways…" she sighed. "Never mind."

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted.

Merlin and Mira glanced at each other, then burst into hysterics, remembering her comment about the king's shouting earlier. "Well, go on. See what he wants," she said, still chuckling.

Merlin approached his shouting king and sat the buckets down, taking in the sight before him. Arthur and some of the villagers had been working on this particular home, and Gwen and the various knights were spread out. The homes, which had been reduced to splinters, were almost entirely rebuilt. Members of the village had been praising Arthur all day, along with Merlin himself, the knights, and Gwen. Merlin couldn't help but feel pride in the king that Arthur was becoming. Speaking of which, Arthur, catching sight of Merlin, bent down and splashed his face with water.

"Arthur! Don't be such a pig! That's for everyone!" Gwen scolded as she stood up and wiped sweat from her brow. She had just added finishing touches to the house next to him after having helped dig up holes in the ground for the new crops. Much of the village had planted them in.

Mira came back with her brother, named Glyn, having dropped her buckets off to another group of villagers across the clearing. Being twins, they looked strikingly alike. "We would like to thank you, your majesties," he said, bowing to both Arthur and Gwen.

"It's my pleasure," Arthur said. "No village is too small to be out of reach for help."

Gwen stood there, looking slightly disturbed. "Yes, thank you," she said. Just then, Mira snickered.

"Sorry," she said, when she caught sight of Arthur frowning.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Mira shook her head. "Nothing at all, my lord," she said, then she gave a meaningful glance at Gwen, who smiled.

Merlin leaned in next to Gwen and whispered, "I don't know how you're going to get used to all that bowing."

Gwen chuckled and whispered back, "Tell me about it."

"Keeping secrets, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"It is the one thing I am good at, sire," he responded. The king rolled his eyes.

"Again, I am terribly sorry that the sorceress has destroyed your homes and that I was not able to stop it. Once again, Camelot is reminded of the evils of magic," Arthur stated.

Merlin felt a pang in his chest as he always did when Arthur talked this way. Arthur was back to completely hating magic since Morgana's last takeover. He glanced around at the solemn faces of everyone, including the knights and Gwen. Then he noticed the village girl Mira, who looked troubled. Her brother elbowed her really hard.

"Merlin, are the horses ready?" Arthur asked. Merlin stopped. He hadn't gotten the horses ready. He turned to face them to see… Gwen. Preparing the horses. Arthur noticed, too. "Merlin!" he shouted. Merlin laughed. It was going to take Gwen a long time to get used to not being a servant.

Despite the late hour, the heat was still beating down relentlessly, and there was no breeze to offer any relief. Arthur rolled his eyes and focused his attention back on Mira and her brother. "Again, thank you. In the future, I will do more to ensure that your village won't be harmed by the evils of magic again." He held his hand out to Glyn, who smiled and shook it, but glanced concernedly at his sister. Arthur then shook the hand of Mira, who forced her lips into a smile. Suddenly, her eyes flashed gold and she jumped back and screamed.

Arthur's arm was on fire. The village girl grabbed a bucket of water and threw it on him, but the flames didn't die out. She frantically threw another bucket on him, but the flames roared even more as her eyes glowed again.

"Drysne," Merlin whispered, and the flames ceased. Everyone stared at her, eyes wide in shock. Arthur's eyes were the widest of all. Gradually, he recovered, and seemed to be wavering for a moment. He gave one desperate look at Gwen, who had her hands over her mouth, looking horrified. Merlin held his breath as he waited for Arthur to decide her fate. Merlin could clearly tell that the magic was an accident. This was the moment when Arthur would either recognize that, or blindly condemn her. He felt his heart plummet at Arthur's hard, resolved expression when he turned toward the girl, who appeared paralyzed from fear. Merlin could see the anger boiling through Arthur's veins. In a low, threatening tone, the king narrowed his eyes and commanded, "Arrest her."

The girl bolted into a sprint. Both Percival and Leon were already ahead of her, and they jumped out to block her way. "Ascrencan," Merlin whispered, and the knights both tripped, giving the girl some time to escape. Shortly, Elyan and Gwaine were chasing her. "Ascrencan," Merlin whispered again, and they tumbled face first to the ground. Merlin's heart raced as he watched Mira run. She was incredibly fast, helped both by her strength and the adrenaline rush she could only get from running for her life. With a sick feeling, he noticed that she even seemed practiced. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past him and hit her in the leg. She cried out and crumpled to the ground. Frantically, she staggered up and began to jog, lopsided. By this time, however, Percival and Leon had caught back up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

Merlin whipped around, searching for where the arrow had come from, considering all the knights were in front of him. He glanced around to find… Gwen. Standing there with a crossbow lowered in her arms, glaring at the village girl. He gulped. He knew that Arthur had ordered official training for Gwen ever since they reunited and it was clear that she would become queen. It was too dangerous of a position for her not to know how to fight. He just hadn't realized that she had gotten that… good. That quickly.

"Gwen!" Merlin shouted. He found himself running up to her. Surely, she hadn't meant to. Surely, she could see reason… "Gwen," he breathed. Her face softened, and she looked at him.

"Gwen, you can't, you can't…" he started, but couldn't seem to find any words.

Gwen looked confused.

"You have to see," he said. "She's not… evil. That was a mistake, an accident. Accidents happen, Gwen," he pleaded.

Gwen stared at him, completely befuddled. "Merlin, she's a sorceress. And she just attacked Arthur."

Merlin shook his head. "No, Gwen. Listen to me. If you knew anything about magic-"

"Whose side are you on?" she interrupted, still completely baffled.

Merlin stared at her confused face, his heart pounding. Gwen, one of his best friends, had just… he couldn't think about it. "Yours," he said, pleadingly.

Gwen jerked away, then scowled.

Leon and Percival dragged the injured girl by her arms, who couldn't support any weight on her right leg.

Merlin hurried forward. "Let me treat that," he stated.

Gwen ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulders, stopping him. She jerked him sharply to his left and shoved him forward. "The king first," she snapped.

Merlin glanced at her, feeling a pang of guilt. Caught up in seeing a fellow magic user being convicted, he had, in fact, forgotten about Arthur. Merlin slowly walked over to him, and he was sitting on the ground, wincing. The front of the sleeve on his right arm had been burnt off, and the flesh was fiery red and blistering under the blanket of heat. Merlin walked over to the cart and retrieved some cloth along with his own bag. He reached in and found a tiny amount of an ointment, meant to cool and help soothe pain. He dipped the cloth in the water and dripped what was left of the ointment on it. Unfortunately, the water and his supplies were warm. He draped the cloth over the burn, and Arthur cried out in pain. Merlin stayed there, replacing the cloth several times before finally bandaging it. "That's all I can do for now," he said. Arthur nodded.

Merlin stood up and proceeded toward Mira. Her forehead was drenched in sweat and contorted in pain. He felt all the eyes glaring at him as he bent over with the cloth and a bucket of water. He motioned toward Leon and Percival. "Lay her down," he ordered. They glanced at him defensively, tightening their grasp. "She can't hurt you. She can't even walk," Merlin pointed out. They hesitated, took one look at her limp body, and slowly laid her on her side.

Merlin bent down and pulled the arrow out. Quickly, he wiped the wound clean before bandaging it tightly to stop the bleeding. Once he was finished, he looked up to see the knights scowling at him.

"Are you done?" Leon snapped. Taken aback, Merlin nodded. Before him, Leon and Percival snatched the girl up to her feet again. Over by the cart, Arthur stood up, and made his way to them and stood before her.

"On your knees," he ordered. Merlin winced as the two knights thrust her to the ground.

Arthur hesitated for a moment. Then he focused on Merlin. "Merlin, can you get the rope?" he asked calmly.

Merlin stood there, frozen. No, he couldn't get the rope.

Gwen scowled, then stormed off to the cart, rummaging through it. She came back and handed Arthur the rope.

He passed it to Leon. "Tie her hands," he ordered. "Then we'll ride off to Camelot."

The knights tied her hands tightly behind her back, and began to drag her to the cart.

"No! You can't take her!" someone yelled. Everyone turned to face Glyn. "She's my sister!" he screamed. Gwaine and Elyan were holding him back, restraining him.

"Stay out of this," Gwaine warned.

"Please! Don't take her! It was me! Take me instead!" he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"You need to stay back," Elyan pleaded.

"No!" he shrieked. He kicked and struggled hopelessly against the two knights. Finally, Gwaine punched him on the back of the head, knocking him out. The knights left him on the ground as they strode forward and mounted their horses.

Everything happened really fast. Percival and Leon lifted the limp girl into the back of the cart and strapped her down. They and Arthur and Gwen mounted their horses, ready to ride back.

"Merlin? Merlin, are you even listening?" Arthur spoke. Merlin snapped his attention towards Arthur, who rolled his eyes.

"Merlin, we need to get back to Camelot," he said. Shaken, Merlin nodded. He felt Arthur's eyes on him. "Sometime in the next twenty years," the king added.

Merlin glanced around at the villagers, who had backed away. They were mostly avoiding the girl's brother, and either looking away, horrified, or casting evil glances at him and the cart.

Then he caught sight of an elderly man, making his way to Arthur. "My lord, thank you," he said. "We have been suspicious of the girl for a long time."

Merlin watched in horror as Arthur nodded, and the elderly man bowed, along with a large portion of the village. They continued to glare at the cart as they backed further away.

What had just happened? Merlin hadn't felt this much hate towards his kind in… a long time. He had been isolated in the castle, and most people there were at least more… respectful of the subject. No one, not even those who had been long supporters of Uther, ever acted this way towards a sorcerer. They were much more… civilized.

"Merlin, are you coming?" Arthur asked, annoyed. Merlin jerked back to reality. He refused to look anyone in the eye as he mounted his horse and began to ride off with the others.


	2. Chapter 2

It was getting dark outside, but there was still no relief from the heat. The crew rode in silence. Merlin kept nervously glancing back at the girl, whose face was constantly etched in pain. He glanced between the stoic expressions on everyone else, looking for… something. A sign that any of them cared.

They rode on, the only sound being the hooves of the horses on the dirt. Finally, Arthur had them stop. "We'll make camp here for the night."

Merlin tried to make a fire despite the blanket of heat that still smothered them. They needed to eat. He fumbled with the flint in his hands, too nerve wracked to risk magic. He was still glancing between everyone's stoic expressions. So much could change so fast. Just a few weeks ago, it had been cold. And just this morning, he had had so much pride in Arthur for the king he was becoming, only for it to shatter completely. He couldn't piece together in his mind the sharp contrast in helping the village and arresting that girl.

Gwen came over and took the flint from his hands, starting the fire on her first try. She then moved back to her place beside Arthur. Merlin watched in silence as the knights, Arthur, and Gwen began talking and… laughing. Yes, things could change too fast. He felt a pit in his stomach form as Gwaine began telling a tavern story, and everyone else burst into hysterics.

Merlin trembled as he took a sip of water. He spilled some of it on himself.

"Clumsy as usual, Merlin?" Arthur teased. He covered his face as the others laughed on.

Quietly, Merlin stood up. Gwen was now telling a story. He blocked it out as he stepped behind the cart, and took one look at the girl.

She was extremely pale, and there was no trace of sweat left on her. Merlin silently cursed, then focused on his canteen and whispered, "Miging." Carefully, he climbed into the cart and unstrapped her arms. He helped her sit up, then held the canteen to her lips, and slowly, she drank. Once she had finished, he helped her lie back down. He was then aware of the silence and the sets of eyes that were staring at him.

Merlin gulped. He tried to read their expressions, but everyone was once again stoic. He finally locked his gaze with Arthur. "Make sure she's strapped down," the king said blankly.

"She is," Merlin responded, and quickly stepped out of the cart. He made his way back to the circle when Elyan stepped out. The knight looked into the cart and frowned. He then climbed in and strapped the girl's arms down once more.

"We need to get some sleep," Arthur said once Elyan had finished. Everyone nodded, and spread out to lie down.

"I need to redress your wound," Merlin said bluntly. Everyone's eyes turned back to him. Quickly, he bent down and removed Arthur's bandages, then held a cool cloth over the burn, and finally re-bandaged it.

"I'll take first watch," Merlin volunteered quickly once he was finished. Hopefully, he could help the girl escape once everyone had fallen asleep. He caught sight of Gwen, who was frowning.

"I'll stay up with you," she said, eying him carefully.

Merlin shook his head. "There's no need-"

"It's the least I can do," she continued. "We're all exhausted. It will be hard to do alone."

At this, Arthur nodded. "Anyone can take the second. I'll take third," he said.

"I'll do it," Percival volunteered.

Arthur nodded, then gazed curiously at Merlin for a moment. He then rolled over to go to sleep along with the rest of the knights.

Without acknowledging Gwen, Merlin climbed into the cart and redressed the girl's wound. She was staring up at the night sky, looking lost. She gave a confused glance at Merlin before staring at the sky again.

He climbed out to find Gwen frowning. Merlin shrugged, then went to sit on a log a few paces away from her.

Gwen carefully stepped toward him and sat down next to him. "Would you like to tell me what's going on?" she asked quietly.

Merlin stared forward, focusing on the blackness of the forest.

"Because you've been acting strange, Merlin. And I'd like to know why," she continued. She eyed him concernedly, and off in the distance, they could hear an owl.

"Well, considering you just shot an innocent girl, I suppose I'm not too happy about that," he snapped.

"Merlin, she's not innocent. She's-"

"A sorceress?" he finished. Silence hung in the air.

"Yes," Gwen said quietly. "You've seen how magic corrupts. And she already attacked Arthur-"

"She didn't _attack_ Arthur," Merlin interrupted.

Gwen stared at him, befuddled. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because it's the truth!" he snapped. "If any of you had any amount of sense, you would have noticed that she threw a bucket of water on Arthur afterwards. She was trying to put the fire out. It was a mistake, Gwen. That's how magic is. At first, it's wild, until you learn to control it."

Merlin stopped, and once again they were engulfed by the silence of the still, hot night. He turned to face Gwen for the first time and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's okay," she said. She was looking at him, warily. "But I think you're wrong."

Merlin stiffened and turned away.

"The flames got worse as she poured more water on him. They didn't go out until… well, something happened."

Merlin snorted.

"Anyway, her eyes continued to glow gold. She knew what she was doing, which was attacking Arthur."

Just then, they heard a sharp gasp from the cart. Merlin rushed over, and found Mira staring up into the sky, panting. She caught sight of Merlin, and a single tear dripped down her face.

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away. "She's having nightmares," he blurted. Calmly, Gwen got him to sit down.

"Merlin," she began. She took in a deep breath. "I know that it's tough, but sometimes things like this are necessary. It's unfortunate… but it's to keep Camelot safe," she said, reassuringly.

Merlin stiffened.

"Merlin-"

"Promise me, Gwen," he pleaded, suddenly looking her in the eye. Gwen saw his eyes glaze as he said the next statement with conviction. "Promise me that you'll see reason one day. That, as queen, you won't continue to punish the innocent."

Gwen stared at him blankly for a moment, lost at what to say. Then he stiffened and turned away. They both gazed out into the blackness of the night, occasionally hearing the sound of an owl or a small rustle in the leaves. At last, Merlin began to lie down, gazing up at the night sky. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwen, studying him. He wondered just exactly when his friend had begun to slip away. He saw her give him a tired look before going to wake Percival for the next watch.

* * *

Merlin lay awake for a good deal of that watch, listening to the girl gasping during the night. He stared up at the sky, looking for any sign of a star, but the clouds covered the sky thickly. Tomorrow, she would be tried, and then… Deep down, he knew, and it made him ache. Arthur hadn't changed much. He watched numbly as the clouds took their own time creeping across the sky. He could feel the slightest breeze float across his skin, the tiniest relief from the wretched day. He listened to the leaves, slowly beginning to rustle…

He found himself kneeling on the throne room floor, both Arthur and Gwen glaring at him. Percival and Leon were holding him down forcefully, and Gwaine and Elyan were also glaring at him.

"You are to be executed at dawn, sorcerer," Arthur spat. The glares of his friends were relentless.

"Arthur," he tried. "I've always been loyal to you-"

"No sorcerer could ever be loyal to me."

Merlin stared helplessly at the friends around him. Resolved, he lowered his head, and let his eyes flash to release his hands. Nothing happened.

"Not so powerful there, Emrys?" Arthur gloated.

"Arthur!" he found himself pleading. "You can't do this!"

"I'm the king, sorcerer. So I can," he sneered.

Just then, Lancelot burst into the room. "Arthur!" the knight cried. "You have to see reason! Merlin has sacrificed so much for you! He's the bravest of us all!" Then he crumpled to the floor, suddenly bleeding to death from his stomach.

"Too bad that your only friend," Arthur snarled, "is already dead."

Merlin glanced desperately at the faces of his friends. "No," he begged.

Just then, Gwen stood up, with a crossbow in her hands. She raised it, and aimed directly at him. The arrow pierced his stomach.

"I think we need to move his execution up. After all, he did _attack_ Arthur," she taunted.

Percival and Leon dragged him through the castle and out to the courtyard. They slammed him into the pyre and tied him tightly to it. He watched as Arthur and Gwen glared at him and each took a torch, lighting opposite sides of the pyre. The flames roared to life, encircling his vision. They came closer, and closer, and…

He bolted upright, panting and sweating. It was still dark outside, and he found himself looking at the puzzled face of Arthur. He lay back down, unnerved and unable to fall back asleep and staring at… the fire. For some wicked reason, there were still a few dying flames of the fire. He waited in tormented silence for dawn, when Arthur woke everyone.

Still shaking, he packed up quickly. He noticed everyone's eyes on him as he mounted his horse, but he avoided their gazes. They began the trek back to Camelot, the cart groaning behind.

When they reached the front gate, Arthur instructed Gwaine and Elyan to carry the prisoner to the dungeons. He then dismissed everyone.

"Not you, Merlin" he said as the servant began to walk away. Arthur glanced at Gwen, who nodded before walking off. Arthur led Merlin away from the main entrance and to a secluded side of the castle.

Arthur stopped, and shoved him against the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded. Merlin froze.

"I… I… nothing, sire-"

"Nothing? You've been extremely jittery ever since we arrested that sorceress."

"There is no problem, sire."

Arthur stared at Merlin, incredulous.

"Really, it's nothing at all." Merlin shifted.

"You've always acted out of sorts at this sort of thing. But now, you're acting as if you've completely lost your mind. So what is it?"

"Nothing!" Merlin shouted.

Arthur stared at Merlin, expecting an answer.

"It's just… it's the first time you've done this." Merlin quickly turned his head.

Arthur's expression softened. "Merlin, I have to. She's a danger to the kingdom-"

"Only because you're too blind to see the truth-"

"Merlin," Arthur warned. He steadied his gaze on his Merlin, who refused to look at him. "Magic… is evil. It corrupts. You saw what it did to my father, and Morgana-"

Merlin pushed away and stormed off.

"Merlin!" Arthur called. "Merlin!" He watched as his manservant made his way back to the main entrance, not once looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Thank you to all who have reviewed! I greatly appreciate any sort of feedback. Just so you all know, this is going to be a relatively short fic. I'm guessing about five chapters.

More angst! And I'm afraid that Arthur is a complete idiot in this.

* * *

Merlin made his way straight to Gaius' chambers. He stormed in to find him at his workbench, reading a book.

"What's happened, Merlin?" the physician asked, startled.

Merlin paced in a circle. "It's Arthur."

"Is he hurt?" Gaius asked, concerned.

Merlin laughed bitterly. "Oh, he's hurt all right. But that's the least of our problems."

Gaius stood up and placed his book aside. "What's going on?"

"Arthur has arrested one of the villagers for magic, and he's probably going to execute her."

Gaius was taken aback. "From the village he was riding out to help?"

"Yes," Merlin answered sharply. "And now he's going to kill one of them."

Gaius faltered. "We can't be certain of that. He may show her mercy-"

The door burst open, and Arthur walked in. He glanced briefly at Merlin, then focused his attention elsewhere.

"Sire," Gaius spoke. "Can I help you?" His eyes settled on the king's forearm.

"Yes, Gaius. Yesterday, I was unfortunately burned by a sorceress. Merlin did what he could to treat it there, but he was limited with supplies."

Gaius nodded. "Of course, sire. I shall treat it." The physician motioned for Arthur to sit in a chair next to his workbench.

"What I don't understand is," Arthur gritted his teeth while Gaius cleaned the burn, "is why a sorceress would be so cruel as to attack me when I was helping her village."

In the corner, Merlin stiffened, and Gaius glanced worriedly at him. He continued to carefully clean the wound.

"And the thing is, she seemed like a nice, innocent girl. I didn't know magic could hide behind someone so seemingly friendly."

Merlin drew in a sharp breath and turned away.

"Sire," Gaius said as he prepared cloths with a soothing ointment. "It is possible that you are mistaken, and that she was just an innocent girl-"

"No, Gaius. I know what I saw. She used magic."

Silence hung for a moment before the physician continued. "She may not have deliberately used magic to attack you, sire. It is possible that she had no control over it."

Arthur looked perplexed. "How so?"

Gaius began to drape the cloths over Arthur's burn. "Very few people can use magic deliberately at first. Usually, a few unintentional things happen around them, and then they devote years to studying magic to learn how to actually use it."

Adds still wore his perplexed expression, and Merlin waited, hopefully. Then Arthur's expression turned to one of horror. "Gaius, that could be extremely dangerous."

Merlin looked down, and Gaius frowned. "Sire, I did not mean to worry you, I only meant to inform you that because of this, the girl may be, in fact, innocent."

Arthur shook his head. "No, Gaius. I know what I saw. Her eyes glowed gold, then my arm caught on fire. The flames grew as her eyes continued glowing. As much as I would like to think she's an innocent girl, she's not. I'm sorry, but we can't save her."

Gaius glanced concernedly at his ward, who was focusing on the ground, fury beginning to show on his face. The physician said nothing as he cut some fresh bandages.

"We're lucky that Gwen has shown so much improvement in her fighting skills. It was her arrow that took the sorceress down and allowed her to be captured."

Gaius became worried. "Is she injured, then? Do I need to treat her?"

Arthur waved his good arm, dismissively. "There's no need. Merlin took care of her. Besides, there are to be no visitors, since she is dangerous. I wouldn't want you to risk anything, Gaius."

Merlin, by this point, was glaring at Arthur, who still refused to look at his servant.

Gaius, reserved, wrapped the fresh bandages around Arthur's arm. He glanced carefully between Merlin and Arthur. "That's it then, sire."

Arthur nodded and stood up, pushing the chair in. Merlin glowered at him the entire time as he made his way to the door. Just as he opened it, he stopped and turned around to look at Merlin, who snapped out of his expression. "The trial starts in an hour," Arthur said. He eyed Merlin skeptically before taking off down the hall.

* * *

Merlin stood to the side as Mira was brought before Arthur and Gwen in the throne room. The guards thrust her down to her knees and held her down.

"You are being tried for the crime of sorcery and for assault of the king of Camelot," Arthur stated. The girl stared down.

"You were seen to have used magic to specifically harm the king," Gwen stated this time, in a very authoritative manner. Merlin felt a pang in his chest. "Have you got any reasons to explain your actions?"

Mira shook her head, focusing on the ground.

Arthur spoke this time. "Then, by the laws of Camelot-"

"I don't know!" she screamed suddenly, her head snapping up and her eyes crazed. "I don't know what's happening to me."

The room fell silent. She glanced at Merlin, pleading for a second, then back at the king. "Here lately, sometimes, when I get angry, I light stuff on fire," she choked. "I don't know why!" Her eyes darted desperately at everyone around the room. "I guess it's magic… but I don't know why. I don't know why me, or why fire. I don't know!" her eyes settled on Merlin, and they became watered. She then focused back on the floor.

Arthur and Gwen exchanged nervous glances. Everyone's eyes were on them, awaiting the inevitable. Merlin felt his heart racing as Arthur took a deep breath. "You have been found guilty of using magic and enchantments. In accordance with our laws, I sentence you to death. You will be burnt at the stake. The execution is at dawn."

The guards jerked her to her feet and dragged her away. Gwen sent Merlin an apologetic look, while Arthur slowly rose to his feet.

Merlin had already guessed the outcome, yet he still felt his anger slowly boiling. Arthur had just sentenced a fellow, innocent magic user to death. _Arthur _did. Not Uther. Yes, the village girl had harmed Arthur. But any idiot who looked at the evidence could see that it was an accident. And any _idiot_ that listened to her explanation could tell that she wasn't lying. She really had no clue what was happening.

Fuming, Merlin watched as everyone filed out of the room. Out of the corner of his eye, Gaius shot him a warning glance.

He watched with a sickening feeling as Arthur lovingly kissed Gwen and then gazed into her eyes. "I'll see you again in an hour, then," Arthur said. Merlin followed the two out the door and waited as they took off in separate directions.

Merlin waited a moment, then began following Arthur. He ducked behind corners every time the king looked back.

Arthur made his way to his chambers. Glancing around, as if looking for someone, he stopped outside before walking in and shutting the door. Merlin stormed down the hall and burst in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted, and slammed the door behind him. He slammed the lock in place, and glared at Arthur.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, and stepped back.

"When are you going to stop?" Merlin demanded.

Arthur was taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

"Killing innocents," Merlin said coldly.

Arthur shook his head. "Merlin, she isn't innocent-"

The servant hardened his gaze.

"She clearly attacked me. With magic of all things," he added.

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Any idiot could see that it was purely an accident. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Merlin," Arthur eyed his manservant worriedly. "Her eyes glowed gold, and then my arm caught on fire. She deliberately used magic."

"And then she tried to put it out! Can't you see that? If she had truly wanted to harm you she would have just let you burn." Merlin stepped forward, danger in his eyes.

Arthur shook his head once more. "No, she was just trying to cover it up. Her eyes kept glowing gold, though. I saw."

"She was panicking!" Merlin shouted. "Can't you see that? That's what happens when you lose control of magic. Arthur, this girl had no clue what she was doing. And you would sentence her to death for that?"

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted. He held up his hands, and continued cautiously. "Merlin, those who practice magic are evil and-"

"More of your father's nonsense!" he yelled. He came closer, and Arthur backed away. "You know, just yesterday morning I was proud of you, for being a better king than your father. Now, I'm not so sure."

"Merlin," Arthur warned.

"Right now, you're being just as blind as he was."

"My father was right about magic," he retorted. "You saw Morgana in the throne room. You've seen the destruction it has caused. You know this," Arthur stated.

Merlin stormed to the other side of the room and heaved over his desk.

"You've got to calm down!" Arthur yelled, his panicked eyes betraying his poor attempt to appear as a calm, rational king.

Merlin stormed off to the edge of Arthur's bed, but Arthur grabbed him and made him stop.

"Calm down," Arthur begged.

"If you knew a damn thing about magic then you would know that what I'm saying is the truth," Merlin snapped, rounding on him.

"And what do you know about magic?" Arthur retorted.

Merlin widened his eyes in disbelief. "A hell of a lot more than you do." He shoved Arthur out of the way and stormed over to a table. Arthur jumped in front of him in time.

"Merlin, you can't possibly know that much about magic. I've grown up my entire life facing its evils-"

"You know nothing!" he screamed. "You know nothing! If you did, you would know that a practiced sorcerer who could be a danger to the kingdom would have already escaped. Would have _killed_ the knights when captured."

Arthur paused for a moment, waiting for Merlin to catch his breath. "Look. I know it's hard," he started. Merlin turned around. "But you have to realize that magic corrupts. The sorceress' execution is necessary."

"And when does it stop?" Merlin demanded.

Arthur stared at him, confused.

"When does your _genocide_ stop? Because that's what it is, only you're too blind to see it."

Arthur was taken aback, disturbed.

"You can keep deluding yourself with your father's lies, Arthur, but one day you're going to have to wake up."

Arthur hesitated, letting Merlin's statement sink in. "Merlin," he began carefully. "My father was a good king."

Merlin snorted.

"And I, a few times, was arrogant enough to think that I knew better. But I didn't," he said. Merlin said nothing.

"And lately, I don't know what is wrong with you, but-" Merlin picked up a chair and threw it across the room.

"You have to see, that magic is evil," he finished. At this, the window shattered.

"Wha-" Arthur began. He stared in bewilderment at his broken window.

Merlin laughed bitterly. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Arthur was still staring at the broken window.

Merlin shook his head as he continued to laugh.

Arthur frowned. "I don't see why that is so funny-"

Merlin clutched his stomach.

Arthur scowled. "Look, you idiot! You have to pull it together! Because do you know who you sound like with your deluded comments?"

Merlin stopped laughing.

"You sound like Morgana."

Merlin froze, then he glared at Arthur. "I'm nothing like Morgana-"

"Well that's what she always used to say," Arthur snapped. "You may not have magic, but you have her deluded mindset."

There was a pounding on the door.

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "You think," he took a step forward, "that I am like Morgana."

Arthur held his gaze.

Merlin gave him his iciest glare. The two locked their eyes, neither relenting as they heard more urgent beating on the door. Finally, Merlin broke the standoff. "Then go to hell." He whipped around, picked up a chair, and hurled it at Arthur.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted as he ducked. There was another beating on the door. Angrily, Arthur grabbed the chair and threw it back at Merlin.

Arthur heard something shatter, and he whipped around to see a vase broken. He guessed that Merlin had thrown something at it. Arthur launched two goblets at him, avoiding the temptation to run up and punch his servant in the face. Merlin ducked and finally heaved the table over, which fell and splintered when it hit the floor.

Just then, the door burst open, and in rushed Gwaine, followed by Gwen.

"And you!" Merlin shouted, his focus on Gwen. "You're no better!" He grabbed a chair and threw it across the room, in the direction of the other window.

It shattered. These windows must be made of really weak glass, Arthur vaguely thought. He noticed that the chair hit it sort of sideways instead of directly.

"Merlin! Calm down!" Gwen exclaimed. He threw another chair. "Please!" she begged.

"Merlin mate, whatever the princess has done, it's not worth destroying his chambers over, because you're going to have to clean it up. Alright?" Gwaine cut in. At this, Merlin stopped, and seemed to steady himself.

Arthur held up his hands, and slowly approached his explosive servant. "Merlin," he began calmly, taking a few, cautious steps forward. "I'm sorry this has hurt you." Merlin didn't say anything. Arthur paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and continued on. "I just have to ask, why do you care so much?"

Merlin stared at him, dumbfounded. For a moment, he glanced at the broken windows and laughed slightly. He shook his head, glancing desperately at Gwen and Gwaine, then stared back at Arthur. "I…" he choked. He turned his gaze again towards the broken window. He looked out it, then pointedly at the shards of glass piled in a heap at the bottom. "I have…" He stopped himself, took a ragged deep breath, then let it out. "I wish…" he began again, but choked. He then lowered his eyes and bolted out the door. Behind, Arthur, Gwen, and Gwaine exchanged bewildered glances.

* * *

Merlin ran straight to his room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gaius sitting at his workbench. He didn't say anything to him. He slammed the door and threw himself on his bed, and immediately felt water rushing down his face. He didn't sob. His just let his tears… fall. He hadn't expected Arthur to change overnight. He just… hadn't prepared himself for this. He didn't prepare to see Arthur convict someone because they had magic. Granted, the girl had accidentally burned Arthur, but it was pure accident, and Arthur couldn't see that. He wondered if Arthur would have still acted the same way if the situation was different. He had to hope so.

Merlin lay there in silence. That night, he would break her out and take her to the Druids. He wouldn't let the pyres burn for innocent magic while Arthur was king and he was alive.

He couldn't help but think that his friends were going to treat him that way when they found out about him, considering the hate he saw in them. And their undying loyalty to Arthur, who right now was acting like a reincarnation of his father. Out of pure luck alone, Arthur still didn't know about his magic, especially since he had been so fed up he almost spilled his secrets right there. He almost couldn't believe that Arthur hadn't figured out that he had smashed his windows. Merlin sighed. Another close one.

He lay there, thinking about the day's events, when he heard the warning bell. He sat upright. Could it be? He suddenly got nervous. If she had managed to escape, then the Camelot guards would probably kill her on sight if they caught her. That was standard for a sorceress or anyone involved in magic.

Merlin sat anxiously in his bed as the bells tolled. He waited and waited, until finally they stopped. Time seemed to crawl in the silence. Moments later, Gaius entered his room.

"Did she escape?" Merlin asked hopefully. "Gaius?" he faltered at the physician's grave expression.

"No, Merlin," he said quietly. Merlin felt his heart drop. "I'm afraid your job is going to be twice as difficult tonight."

"Why?" He suddenly became extremely worried. "What's happened, Gaius?"

The physician took a deep breath. "Her brother has been caught," he began cautiously. "He's been charged with aiding a sorceress. He tried to break her out." Gaius gazed wearily at his ward. "He's been sentenced to death as well."

Merlin felt himself begin to crumble. "No," he whispered. He looked at Gaius, pleadingly. "Arthur would never…"

The physician nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so, Merlin."

Merlin stared hopelessly at the physician. "He… can't," he choked. "He's supposed to be better than his father."

Gaius drew in a breath, then pulled his ward into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Merlin. I truly am."

Merlin felt numb as he leaned on his shoulder. Eventually, Gaius backed away, then slowly made his way out the door, leaving Merlin in his room by himself.

Merlin leaned back into the pillows and cried.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed! There are so many!

When I began this, I had an idea of what I wanted the end to be, and so I hadn't planned on continuing it. However, your fantastic reviews have given me several ideas for a possible sequel. It would be my first attempt at a long multi-chapter story, and it would take place directly after this. It would continue with the angst, but have some more action, and have a more involved plot. Would you be interested?

That aside, this is the longest chapter of this fic, and there will be one more.

Warning: More angst, of the type I felt I needed to warn about.

* * *

It was dark. Merlin had waited for this all day. By now, most of the castle should be asleep. He would only have to get past the guards, which would be more of a problem than usual due to heightened security. After the attempted escape, Arthur had nearly tripled the guards throughout the castle and especially around the dungeon.

Merlin reached the door, ready to begin his escape plan, when Gaius placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around.

"I got you a cloak," he said, handing it out to Merlin. It was a dark, midnight blue.

"Thanks, Gaius." He hastily put it on. It was large, but the hood covered his face well. Gaius patted him on the shoulder before he headed out the door.

At first, Merlin swept down the halls with little trouble, occasionally causing torches to roar to distract the patrolling guards. He had to dodge more of them as he neared the dungeon, where the hallways were swarming with them. He was about to go in when he felt a sword tip at his back. "Halt," the guard stated. "Declare yourself."

"Swefne," Merlin whispered, and the guard fell over, simply asleep. He stepped into the dungeon to be met with five more guards outside of their cell.

"Swefne." All five guards' heads lolled and they toppled over, fast asleep. He could see the siblings chained in their cell, staring at him in astonishment. He felt a slight rage at Arthur for putting them in there. Then he heard a clank outside, and the sense of urgency overtook him.

His eyes flashed and the cell door was unlocked. He stepped inside and released them from their chains with magic.

Without hesitation, he lifted his hood. "Merlin?" Mira breathed. "You have magic?"

He put a finger to his lips, and nodded. "I'm getting you two out of here," he stated in a low tone, and their faces brightened. "We'll have to be quick. Arthur's got guards everywhere." He glanced at her injured leg and then at Glyn, who appeared to have an untreated broken arm. Merlin winced. He bent down and placed his hand over the arm and whispered, "Haelan." Glyn watched in awe as his arm began to realign and mend itself. He then went over to Mira and said, "Lacnian." She was mesmerized as her wound slowly healed. Merlin waited patiently during the minutes it took for their wounds to heal. Glyn began to look at him with complete admiration as his arm was almost completely mended, all except for a large bruise. Then he turned towards his sister.

"You'll be able to do that one day," he said, half smiling. His sister gave him an annoyed glance. Then they all jumped as they heard a crashing down the hallway.

"Follow me," Merlin said. Nervously, they all stood up and joined hands in a line, with Glyn taking the rear, and followed Merlin out.

They ran down some dark passageways, narrowly avoiding the extra guards and knights. They seemed to have caught on to his fire trick, and began ignoring the roaring torches. Merlin had even resorted to wordlessly knocking a few out by blasting them backwards. They began to rush faster as they heard the warning bells.

Suddenly, Merlin felt a tug on his arm, and Glyn cried out in pain. He whirled around to see that he had a knife embedded in him. Merlin lunged forward to pull it out, but suddenly a knight whipped around the corner and ran the boy through with a sword.

"NOOO!" Mira cried, and the knight flew backwards. He smacked into the wall and landed in a heap, unconscious.

"No," she pleaded as she held him, bleeding out on the ground.

"Mira," he said shakily, then closed his eyes, grimacing in pain.

Merlin felt his breath catch. A healing spell wouldn't work in this case. If he had just been cut... But he was run through, and he was bleeding out too fast. Still, he had to try.

He knelt down beside him as Mira still held him, and placed his hand over the wound. Mira was too shocked to notice.

"Please! Don't leave!" she cried.

"Purhhaelan," Merlin spoke. He watched anxiously as the wound slowly began to stitch itself, but not quite fast enough, as the pool of blood kept increasing.

Glyn slowly opened his eyes. "I don't regret any-" he stopped to cry out, "thing."

Merlin saw a few guards down the hall, and he hurriedly knocked them out.

Mira stared at her brother, completely numb.

"Keep running," he whispered. Then his eyes closed and his breathing stopped.

Mira sat there, trembling. Merlin felt himself sicken at what had just happened. Why had Arthur never removed his father's protocol? He really was his father's son. Suddenly, two guards came around the corner. Merlin knocked them unconscious.

"We have to go," he said urgently. The girl whipped her head towards him, and nodded.

He pulled her to her feet and they took off sprinting, Mira taking one last glance behind her. Merlin blasted the gate off to be greeted by two knights.

They flew off to the sides as he ran for the cover of the forest. Gasping for air, they both willed their wobbly legs to move forward. They were at the edge of the trees and thick bushes. Just a few more steps…

And then Merlin felt a hand grab him, and he nearly toppled over. The figure whipped him around and yanked off his hood…

"Merlin?" the figure asked, startled.

Gasping for air, Merlin focused his vision. "Gwaine?" he breathed.

Just then, they heard the sound of knights running towards them. Gwaine quickly pulled Merlin's hood back over his head.

"Get her out of here," he said, then shoved them both into the thick of the forest.

"This way!" Gwaine called, then sprinted across the field, leading the knights down a path on the other side of the clearing.

They both collapsed, completely winded. They both climbed their way out of the bushes, pushing branches and leaves aside. Merlin felt a pang in his chest at the still shocked expression on Mira's face.

"I'm so sorry," he said. She turned toward him, questioningly. "I failed. I didn't save your brother."

Slowly, she shook her head. "You did more than I could have asked for."

That didn't take away Merlin's guilt one bit. They stayed there in silence, listening to the sounds of knights clamoring past them. Merlin hesitated before he stood up, his legs still wobbly from the sprint. He removed his cloak, and noticed that she was waiting, expectantly. "I was going to take you to the druids," he said cautiously. "They can help you. With your gifts."

She gave a short nod.

Merlin listened in, trying to hear their voices. There would likely be at least a few still up to watch over the camp. Distantly, he caught them. "This way," he said, turning slightly towards her left and waving forward.

Bewildered, she followed. His eyes glowed and a tiny flame appeared in his palm, illuminating their way. They walked in silence for a long while, the village girl blindly following Merlin in the dark forest.

"Merlin," she said eventually, breaking the silence. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know where they are?"

Despite the pain of what had just happened, Merlin grinned faintly. "I can hear them. In my head."

Mira was taken aback. "What?"

"Like this," Merlin said. He turned to face her, and said in her mind, _Hello_.

She jumped. "Did you just…"

Merlin grinned. _Yes_.

She jumped again. "And this is… part of the magic thingy?"

_Yes_, Merlin said.

Her eyes widened. "Merlin," she began worriedly, "you're telling me that I'm going to start having people talking to me in my head?"

Merlin eyed her, amused. _Yes_.

She jumped, and almost slapped him.

They continued through the forest, falling back into a solemn silence, the only sounds their footsteps and an occasional snapping of a twig.

It was a long while before she spoke again, this time quietly. "Merlin, are you certain that they're not… right?"

Merlin frowned as their pace slackened. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you can… heal, and stuff, with you magic. All I can ever do is start fires and burn people. Your magic is clearly… good. A gift. All I ever do is destroy."

Merlin stopped abruptly. How ironic that someone would think that of him. "You know, I've killed six men with a single glance. I ordered a dragon to incinerate almost an entire army."

Mira let that process, then her jaw dropped.

"And it took me years to learn how to heal. Killing… is surprisingly easy." Merlin took a step forward and pushed a low branch out of the way, snapping it in the process. "I guess it's just easier to destroy."

Mira nodded.

"I guess that goes for all of life, actually," he mumbled, thinking about his fight with Arthur, and even Gwen.

The leaves brushed past them as they continued on. Another heavy, grave silence overtook them. After a while, broke it again.

"So, I guess this is your job?" she asked, plaintively.

"What do you mean?"

"Helping sorcerers escape." They both laughed slightly, then Merlin's expression darkened.

"I hope it doesn't have to be. It's my hope that Arthur will change…" he trailed off. Somehow, the ingrained words didn't have the same fire that they used to.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and Merlin thought he could see the faintest star in the sky finally, set against a rich blue over the tops of the trees. "We're almost there," he said. They made their way through a dark, dense patch of trees, the lone flame still dancing in his hand.

Merlin could hear the druid voices in his head loudly now. They were here. He halted, waiting for them to reveal themselves. Quietly, six figures in green cloaks stepped out from behind the trees. They appeared to have recently awoken, circles of sleep still around their eyes. Merlin recognized one as Iseldir.

"Emrys," he began. "What brings you here?"

Merlin nodded to Mira. "She has magic," he began. "I helped her escape."

Iseldir contemplated this, then became concerned. "Was she sentenced?"

Merlin nodded gravely. "To death."

Stillness hung in the air as the druids exchanged worried glances. Finally, Isledir nodded and smiled at her.

"What is your name?" he asked the newcomer.

"Mira," she responded.

"You are safe now," Iseldir continued. "We can teach you to harness your gifts. You won't have to live in fear anymore." She glanced nervously around at the druids in green cloaks, then back at Merlin, who smiled in reassurance. Tentatively, she stepped forward and joined them.

Then she turned back towards Merlin. "I thought your name was Merlin?" she asked, puzzled.

Merlin froze. "It is."

She frowned. "Then why did they call you Emrys?"

Merlin glanced desperately at Iseldir for help. The druid chuckled. "Amongst our people, that is his name," he started. "There are many legends written about him."

Merlin felt his cheeks turn red.

"There are?" she asked in disbelief. The expression on her face was… slightly disturbed. Quickly, she snapped out of it. "I mean, there are?" she asked more politely. Merlin gave her an embarrassed nod.

"That must feel…" she stopped, trying to finish her sentence.

"Incredibly awkward?" Merlin tried. She chuckled.

"You must get back, quickly," Iseldir spoke, his attention on Merlin. "It is nearing dawn, and those in Camelot will grow suspicious of your absence."

"Merlin," Mira interrupted before anyone could leave, "thank you. And, I just wanted to let you know… that my brother's death wasn't your fault."

At this the druid's eyes widened, and Merlin felt himself be stabbed on the inside. He nodded to her before both he and the druids turned to go separate directions.

_Emrys_, Iseldir spoke into his mind. Merlin turned around to find the druid waiting expectantly. _It seems that the time of the Once and Future King is not yet upon us. Have faith that Arthur will one day change. But for now… help them run._

And Iseldir turned, leaving Merlin to walk back to Camelot alone.

* * *

It was nearly midday when he arrived. The entire castle was frantic. There was an escaped sorceress on the loose, and there was rumor that another, more powerful sorcerer had helped her escape.

Merlin hurried to his room, ready to hide his new cloak with his other things. He noticed some patients in Gaius's beds, but he ignored them. He burst through the door and—

"Merlin! You made it back!" Gwaine was sitting on Merlin's bed, drinking from a jug of ale.

Merlin froze, looking guiltily at the cloak in his hands. Gwaine knew exactly what he had done last night. "I… was just…"

Gwaine stood up and patted Merlin on the shoulder. "Did she make it alright?"

Merlin stared at him in astonishment. Gwaine actually seemed… concerned. Maybe there was some hope yet. "Y-yes," he stammered. "Her brother didn't make it though," he choked and turned away.

Gwaine's expression became grim. "So I heard." He eyed Merlin carefully. "Arthur was furious about it."

Merlin's eyes widened. "What?"

"Apparently, Gwen had convinced him that the boy was innocent. Arthur was changing his sentence from execution to banishment in the morning, but he didn't get the chance."

Merlin was stunned.

"Yeah," Gwaine continued. "He trashed his own chambers even more, and the knight who killed him is currently locked in the dungeon."

Merlin gaped, still having trouble processing this. "So… what was her sentence, then? If he wanted to change Glyn's?"

Gwaine looked grim again. "Still execution."

Suddenly, Merlin felt his heart wrench out from him. If he hadn't tried to help the boy escape, he would have lived. But then his heart squeezed and twisted at knowing that Mira would be dead for sure. He felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, and a cool stream begin to flow down his face. Sometimes, it felt as if some cruel twist of fate ensured he could never do anything right.

Merlin wiped his tears, then stared out the window at the blazing sun. He wished it would have stayed night a while longer.

Gwaine's voice brought him back to reality. "Merlin, I'm sorry."

Merlin stared at him, confused. "Why?" he choked.

"Because… I shouldn't have ever doubted you."

Merlin's vision blurred, and he blinked several times to get the water out.

"When I saw her eyes glow and Arthur's arm catch on fire, I immediately rushed to the conclusion that she was out to harm him."

Merlin shook his head. "Please, Gwaine, don't. I… I don't want to fight another friend. I don't want to feel any worse right now."

"No, Merlin," he pressed on. "I was wrong. We all were. Arthur, Gwen, some of the other knights… I don't think they can see that yet. But Arthur told me what you said, and I believe you."

Merlin looked up, a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"And… this is probably terrible timing, mate, but I know you have magic."

Merlin inwardly screamed and his stomach dropped out beneath him. He scrambled to find a way to deny it, but all the words became stuck. Instead, he uttered, "How?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "It was pretty clear that a sorcerer in a blue cloak was knocking various knights and guards unconscious. So naturally I sneaked up behind him to remove his hood, and it was you."

Merlin stood there in astonishment, then suddenly felt terror racing through his veins.

"Relax, Merlin, I'll keep your secret. But you owe me one, okay?"

Merlin nodded quickly, but still felt panic burning throughout his entire body. Merlin breathed deeply as the pulsating fear slowly ebbed from his veins, and suddenly felt a huge grin cross his face. He pulled Gwaine into a tight hug.

"And to be honest, I don't know how you've put up with that princess. If I were you, Arthur would've become a toad, or maybe even a rat, a long, long time ago."

Merlin chuckled slightly. Then his face fell, and he backed away. The two stood there quietly for a moment. Then a vague thought crossed Merlin's mind.

"You said I knocked a lot of knights unconscious," Merlin began. "Did anyone get hurt?"

Gwaine hesitated, then he grinned. "You nailed Percy and Leon pretty good."

Merlin's eyes widened in horror.

"You didn't see them? They're just outside in Gaius' chambers right now."

Merlin, worried, took a step out the door. He glanced at the beds to find… Percival and Leon. Still unconscious, with their heads bandaged.

"They were just outside the gate. The one you blasted off. Gaius says they each have concussions," Gwaine continued.

Merlin slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Relax, Merlin. They'll be alright. Although, I'd hide that cloak if I were you."

Merlin froze, noticing the midnight blue cloak that was still in his hands. He nodded, then darted back into his room. He lifted the floorboards and placed the cloak underneath.

"That's nifty." Merlin whirled around to see Gwaine leaning against the door frame. "I'll have to replicate this. To hide some secret stashes of ale."

Merlin chuckled. Gwaine leaned over, next to him. "Do you mind?" he asked, pointing to his hiding spot.

Merlin shook his head.

Gwaine reached in and carefully pulled out the Sidhe staff. He twirled it around, studying it. "I've seen something like this before. You blast people with this, right?"

Amused, Merlin nodded.

Smugly, Gwaine stood up, still holding onto the staff. He proceeded to pretend to blast various objects in the room. He stopped when he caught sight of Merlin, whose eyebrows were raised.

"Couldn't resist," the knight said, grinning.

Merlin smiled, then crawled over and pushed a crate out of the way, not missing the significance of what he was about to do. It revealed a single loose board in the floor, which he lifted. He pulled out a leather bound book with writing of the Old Religion on it.

"If you want to see it, this is my magic book." Carefully, he handed it out to Gwaine. With a look of complete awe, he accepted it.

The knight began curiously flipping through the pages, his eyes widening at some. "I've encountered some of this stuff on my travels…" he mumbled. Then he noticed something marked, and his face lit up. "Donkey ears?"

Merlin's cheeks turned red.

"I heard about Arthur and his donkey ears. And his braying. Did you do that do him?"

"No," Merlin responded quickly. "A goblin did that. I just… left the enchantment in place a little longer than necessary."

Gwaine grinned. "Good one, mate." He flipped through a few more pages, then he paused. "Say, could you be the one to... give him donkey ears?"

Merlin eyed Gwaine cautiously before nodding.

Gwaine laughed. "Oh, you and I are going to have some fun-"

The door squeaked. Without enough time to properly return everything to its hiding place, Merlin darted down to replace the floorboards and Gwaine shoved the book and staff underneath his bed. Arthur walked in to find Gwaine on the floor underneath the bed and Merlin lying awkwardly beside him.

"What are you two up to?" Arthur demanded, suspicious.

"Nothing," they chimed in unison. Gwaine pulled himself out from under the bed and noticed Merlin, who had replaced the boards that concealed his Sidhe staff, but he was lying awkwardly in front of the open board that usually contained the magic book.

Arthur glanced back and forth between them, and sighed, giving up on figuring out their antics. "Merlin," he said. "Follow me."

Merlin froze, and glanced desperately at Gwaine. The knight took the hint and stood up, swaying. Then he purposefully toppled over, concealing Merlin's hiding spot underneath him.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Between you two, I'm surprised that there is any ale left in Camelot. Now, Merlin, you'd better not be drunk too, because you have to walk down the halls without embarrassing me." Arthur waited patiently. Merlin gulped and slowly made his way towards the door and followed him.

Merlin's legs felt heavy as he followed Arthur down the corridors. He didn't know what to think of him anymore. He couldn't look him in the eye as they turned to step into his chambers, but he glanced around the room. It was in the same state that he had left it in. No, actually it was slightly worse. There were more shattered pieces on the floor, and every chair was splintered beyond repair.

Arthur shut the door calmly. He studied his servant for a moment. "First of all, where have you been?" he asked, annoyed.

Merlin felt slightly angry again. He kept his gaze down.

"Have you been at the tavern again, with Gwaine?"

Merlin clinched his fists. "No! I was…" he trailed off.

Arthur was even more annoyed. "The sorceress escaped. Did you even know that?"

Merlin shifted before raising his head. He nodded.

Arthur sighed, then paced in a circle.

"Glyn didn't make it," Merlin said bluntly.

Arthur stopped. "You know that, too?"

"Yes," Merlin bit back, turning his head away.

"Merlin, he was… he was aiding her…" Arthur tried, but he turned and looked out the window. Merlin continued to stare at the wall, hard.

"I… did what I thought was right. I was thinking of my father," he continued.

Merlin still refused to look at him.

"I regret that, now. Looking back, he was probably innocent. I don't think he really knew what he was doing."

"We can't keep waiting on you, Arthur." Merlin kept his gaze on the wall.

Arthur softened. "I know."

"No, you don't," Merlin snapped, facing the king. "You don't know just how long people have been waiting on _you_, Arthur."

Arthur faltered. "Merlin, I'm incredibly sorry that this has affected you so much," he began. Merlin started to speak, but Arthur held up his hand. "And I regret that I was foolish and that her brother had to die. But, you do need to understand that she was a sorceress-"

Merlin bolted for the door.

"Wait!" Arthur called.

Merlin stopped, his hand on the doorknob.

Arthur started to say something, then he sighed. "I brought you here to clean these chambers," he said bluntly, motioning around at the mess. "But now… don't worry about it, alright? I'll find someone else to do it just this once." Merlin gave a short nod and turned the doorknob. "Wait!" Arthur pleaded. Merlin stopped once again, this time annoyed. "Guinevere and I are going on a picnic tomorrow morning to get away from all this. We're leaving early, just before dawn. We're walking, so no horses, but make sure you have everything else ready to go."

Merlin said nothing as he rushed out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Thank you to all who have read and/or reviewed! I greatly appreciate it.

This is the last chapter to this fic, but I see different directions this could continue. Once again, if you'd like to see a sequel, let me know! And even if you wouldn't, let me know!

* * *

Merlin tiredly carried the blankets and the picnic basket. He had risen from another almost sleepless night, cursing that dawn had to come so soon. It had rained briefly, so the air was actually crisp that morning, and he could see the sun, a fiery orange, beginning to rise.

"Here, let me get that," Gwen said gently, grabbing the picnic basket from his hands.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Gwen, you are going to remember that you aren't a servant anymore, aren't you?"

She smiled. "Oh, I already remember. That doesn't mean that I'll forget what it's like to be one."

Arthur had decided to walk out that morning instead of riding horses. He wanted to take his time. Merlin grudgingly carried on, feeling heavy from lack of sleep. Why Arthur felt the need to get up before dawn was beyond him.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" Arthur said. "I was hoping we'd see a sunrise."

The clouds had now taken on the fiery orange of the sun, with rays of pink trickling out.

"It's beautiful," Gwen breathed.

Merlin stopped and gazed at it. It did make him feel a little better. Just last night, he had been trapped in a nightmare where he thought he'd never see one again.

They trod on at a slow pace through the forest. Gwen's simple, royal blue dress floated just above the grass as their feet became wet from last night's rain They stopped in a clearing next to a small, quiet stream. Merlin unrolled the blankets in a spot near a patch of white flowers.

"I should have worn white today," Gwen commented. "Those flowers are lovely."

Arthur smiled. "I thought you would like them." He bent down and picked one, and placed it in her hair. Gwen smiled back, and she squinted as the first beam of sunlight hit her eyes.

Merlin watched the two for a moment, then slowly walked away. It was amazing how easily life could move on. He would wait behind a tree in the forest to carry their stuff back.

He sank down to the wet ground, leaning his back against a tree and closing his eyes. He couldn't stop his mind from racing. Arthur and Gwen had treated him civilly today, but what about tomorrow? How many more times would there be screaming and fighting and throwing things? He had so much hope when Arthur had promised peace to the druids, and yet he tore it down again. And then Gwen… he was losing her as a friend, too. The issue of magic was already them apart. And they didn't know _anything_ yet.

The one comfort was that Gwaine was still going to be his friend. But even he had said he didn't think the rest were ready. At the end of the day, Arthur hadn't changed much. He was still trying to convince Merlin that magic was evil.

Surely, Arthur was a better person than that, wasn't he? Surely, if he had seen something other than his arm being almost burned off... Merlin shuddered. He had to think that the king wouldn't necessarily have condemned someone for saving his life with magic. Someone like him. But the problem was that Mira wasn't much different from him at all.

Merlin felt something nagging him in the back of his mind. He felt so… hopeless. He was trapped in a vicious cycle. Arthur just kept wavering back and forth, but mostly settling on the idea that magic was evil. And everyone just kept blindly following their king. He felt like he had to do something other than sit in the background, but what? Maybe just something… small. Nothing life-changing. And he had to know if there was any chance of magic being free. He just _had_ to. He slumped a little more and opened his eyes, gazing at a single ray of sunlight peeping through the dark forest, hitting one of the white flowers that bloomed out in the clearing by the stream.

* * *

Gwen laughed. "You, Arthur? I can't believe you did that."

"Well, I was drunk…"

"Obviously. But still, you must have been close to passing out to burst in on Uther's council meeting."

Arthur blushed. "Oh, I apparently did. Because the next thing I knew I was locked in the dungeons."

Gwen shook her head. "Honestly, Arthur! Jumping on the table, and singing? With no trousers?"

"My guess is that it was a dare," he continued. "But I don't remember that part."

Gwen laughed and took a sip of water.

"So, I need to know. Who was your first kiss?" Arthur pressed.

Gwen spluttered and sprayed the water out all over his face. Her eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry!" She grabbed a cloth and began frantically wiping his face.

Arthur squinted. "No harm done."

Embarrassed, she put the cloth down.

"Now, you've _got_ to answer me," he continued, grabbing his glass. "I'm interested."

Gwen hesitated. "It was Merlin,"

It was Arthur's turn to spray out water. "You're joking," he said.

Gwen bit her lip.

"You're not joking." Arthur's eyes widened.

"In my defense, he had just died."

"He, _died_?" Arthur asked, skeptically.

"Yes," she answered. Then she frowned. "Well, no, I guess not… but his heart stopped. And his breathing. Then he came back, and I kissed him."

Arthur nodded. "As disturbing as that sounds… I suppose it's fair enough."

"Yours?" Gwen asked, teasingly.

Arthur smiled. "I'm afraid mine isn't that embarrassing. It was a visiting lady from Bayard's kingdom. We were both fifteen, and we had seen each other during their three day visit. We became good friends, but it never really became more than that."

Gwen narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure about that, Arthur?" she teased.

Arthur frowned. "Yes, why?"

Gwen grinned mischievously. "Because I remember a certain someone saying that her first kiss was with you when you were eleven."

Arthur frowned some more, thinking. Then his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh yes. And Uther apparently went berserk."

Arthur dropped his glass, spilling water everywhere.

Gwen smiled. "Supposedly you two were confined to your separate chambers for a week. Then he made you swear that you would never do anything like that again, on pain of death."

Arthur paled.

Gwen laughed. "Arthur, you were eleven. To be honest, I don't think that counts, especially because I think you two were just being silly. And you had no idea that she was your sister."

"Guinevere!" Arthur exclaimed. He was mortified.

Gwen continued to smile sweetly. Just then, they heard a rustling in the woods.

Arthur placed a finger over his lips for her to be quiet, then reached for his sword and crept over.

A small, dark haired boy tumbled out of the bushes, yelping.

Arthur backed away and put his sword down.

The boy stood up slowly, covered in leaves and twigs. Arthur guessed he couldn't have been more than seven.

"Are you lost?" Gwen, who had stood up and made her way over, asked gently. He looked up at her, and shook his head. He took one step forward and tumbled to the ground again.

Arthur chuckled. "You don't happen to be related to a man named Merlin, do you?"

The boy froze, then shook his head.

Gwen lightly slapped Arthur. "Where are you going?" she asked the boy, kindly.

"Just passing through," he replied. Then he clumsily made his way to the stream, glancing nervously back at them before bending down to take a drink.

"We should probably sit down," Gwen volunteered. "We don't want to frighten him."

Arthur agreed. Quietly, they made their way over to the blankets and sat down. They kept their attention on each other as they heard him splashing.

Eventually, his splashing stopped, and they noticed that he was looking at them. Curious, they both turned, and he grinned and walked over to the patch of white flowers.

He tripped amongst them, falling face first. "He's adorable," Gwen commented. Then he pushed himself to his knees. Arthur and Gwen watched as he scanned the ground and carefully picked one white flower.

Then, slowly, the boy stood up, the flower in his hand. Gwen noticed that his hands were slightly shaking. Then, he looked each of them directly in the eye, and his eyes glowed gold.

Gwen gasped, and Arthur jumped. The white flower began to grow until the petals spanned the size of a human hand. The white began deepening into a royal blue, and a light shimmered around it. The flower became richer in color, drinking in the magical light. Then the shimmer stopped, each blue petal of the flower now glowing gently.

Arthur and Gwen remained stunned, at a loss of what to do. The boy let go, and the flower floated from his hand and stilled in the air, directly in front of Arthur. "You should give it to her," he said innocently. The boy gave them a slight grin.

Arthur stared in awe at the enchanted flower, radiating in the sunlight before him. He heard Gwen's voice saying, "It's beautiful." He glanced curiously at the young boy, wondering how he could have used an evil for this.

"Someone once told me I had a gift."

Arthur stared at him, slightly confused. "Why are you using magic?" he asked gently.

The boy shrugged. "I just wanted to make someone's day a little brighter."

Arthur's stomach plummeted, then he froze. This could be another trick. It could be a disguise, couldn't it? Panicked, he glanced towards Gwen, who was smiling at the boy. She caught sight of him. "Arthur, he's just a boy. He's obviously not harming us." Still uneasy, he decided to follow her judgement. Slowly, he reached out and touched it, as if to see if it were truly there.

The boy nodded, and his eyes filled with hope. Arthur felt his heart race as he inwardly protested. What if the flower was... possessed? Was he never going to learn? Even today, he still wasn't listening to his father. While this boy was doing them no harm, he should at least get up and run away. Yes, that would work. He could grab Guinevere and take off sprinting through the forest. The sorcerer was so clumsy he wouldn't stand a chance. He and Gwen would grab Merlin and tear out of there as fast as they could. And unlike the sorcerer, they could all walk on their own two feet... Merlin! He almost shouted his manservant's name. Well, that idiot of a servant would just have to learn how to stay upright, and fast. Determined, he snapped out of his thoughts, and before he could move, he caught sight of the dark haired boy waiting, his eyes pleading and so full of hope and... watering.

Inwardly cursing, Arthur wrapped his fingers around the stem, gently plucking it out of the air. He turned to Gwen, who was mesmerized.

Trembling, he took the white flower out of her hair and laid it aside. He held the blue one between them, and their eyes locked.

Then carefully, he placed the enchanted flower in Gwen's hair. He watched nervously as its large petals softly glowed against her dark hair and skin, matching the color of her dress. Almost to his surprise, nothing happened. Both of them turned to the boy, who gave them a short nod before turning away.

"Wait!" Arthur called. The boy stopped, and slowly turned around. "I don't know your name."

The boy tilted his head to the side, and seemed to be studying the king. Then he beamed. "You can call me Emrys," he said. Then he placed his hand out over the patch of white flowers, and they all began shimmering blue. Once again, they all began the process of drinking in the rich, royal blue color, gently glowing and resting as peacefully as the stream beside it.

The king and queen watched in awe as the mysterious dark haired boy carefully made his way back into the thick of the forest, leaving them and the patch of enchanted flowers, now glistening in full morning sunlight, behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Sequel now posted!

I posted it yesterday, and I didn't get any reviews. Then I realized I should have posted a chapter to let you all know it was there.

It's called "Taking Chances." It starts off almost exactly where this one ended, and I intend for it to be a full length story. It will have a lot of angst in it, like this one, but since it is longer it will have a bit more humor in it. It will have some multi-stranded plots, which will hopefully be introduced within the first few chapters. Read if you like and let me know what you think! Even if you hate it!


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